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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23284888">Do you love me?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarandspace/pseuds/sugarandspace'>sugarandspace</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shadowhunters (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Human, Attempt at Humor, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 10:21:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,891</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23284888</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarandspace/pseuds/sugarandspace</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Magnus has been acting weird the past three weeks. Not knowing what to do, Alec talks to Isabelle who suggests something Alec had not even considered.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alec Lightwood &amp; Isabelle Lightwood, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>276</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Shadowhunters Fic-A-Thon 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Do you love me?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/WithFlowerAndBlood/gifts">WithFlowerAndBlood</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written after a prompt I got on tumblr:</p>
<p>malec+"do you love me?"/"do you want me to?"</p>
<p>I hope you like this!!! :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Alec practically collapses to his sister’s couch when Izzy opens the door to her small apartment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not that I don’t mind you visiting,” Isabelle says as she closes the door and follows Alec to sit next to him. “But I thought you were going to spend time with Magnus after work?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was going to,” Alec says as he leans his head against the backrest and brushes his hand through his hair in frustration. “But I think Magnus is mad at me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Magnus? Mad at you?” Isabelle asks and her voice clearly indicates she doesn’t believe him. “Have you two ever truly been mad at each other?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, there was this one time when I accidentally washed one of his shirts with mine and it turned gray,” Alec says and turns his head so he’s facing Isabelle, still slumped down on her couch. “But this is different.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How?” Isabelle asks. “You two have been best friends for over half of your lives. You survived living in a dorm together without barely any fights and even now when you both have your own places you hang out together almost every day.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s the thing!” Alec says as if Isabelle’s words somehow prove that he’s right. Isabelle just looks more confused. “He doesn’t want to spend time with me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Has he said so?” Isabelle asks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, no,” Alec has to admit to which Isabelle answers with a raised eyebrow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t give me that look,” Alec chastises her. “He hasn’t said so but his actions speak loud and clear.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Isabelle asks, and it looks like she’s taking it seriously this time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He claims he’s busy all the time,” Alec says. “I know his job is keeping him busy but it’s been three weeks since we last spent time together.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Three weeks?” Isabelle asks, and it looks like she understand Alec a bit better now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Alec says and visibly deflates. “And all our phone calls are really short. When I text him his answers aren’t what they used to be. It’s like I did something wrong and he’s avoiding me because of that. The problem is I don’t know what I did.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing out of the normal happened before he started acting like this?” Isabelle asks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not that I know of,” Alec answers. “We were in the coffee place near his apartment where we happened to meet my new coworker and after that Magnus claimed to be busy and said that he should head home.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your new coworker?” Isabelle asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Alec says. “Thomas arrived about a month ago, he’s cool. It’s easy to work with him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is he attractive?” Isabelle asks and Alec raises his eyebrows.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Could we solve my problem before we start finding you a boyfriend?” Alec asks. “Besides, Thomas is gay.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But is he attractive?” Isabelle asks again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess?” Alec answers, humoring his sister. “But what does that have to do with anything?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe Magnus is jealous,” Isabelle suggest and Alec doesn’t have a clue what she’s getting at.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why would he be jealous?” Alec asks as if it’s the most absurd thing he’s ever heard. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have you considered-” Isabelle starts but then trails off as if contemplating whether or not she should say what she’s thinking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spit it out, Izzy,” Alec says, just about ready to hear any other reason for Magnus’ sudden behavior that isn’t him hating Alec.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isabelle takes a deep breath and looks at Alec seriously before she says, “Have you considered that Magnus might like you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?!” Alec’s response comes instinctively. He jumps up from the couch and starts pacing the room, pointing an accusing finger towards his sister. “Magnus doesn’t like me. Not like that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why not?” Isabelle asks, not at all offended by Alec’s reaction.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why not?” Alec repeats. “Because he’s Magnus. He’s my best friend.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It didn’t stop you from developing feelings,” Isabelle counters, not unkindly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alec points his finger to Isabelle and gives her a sharp look. They agreed not to talk about Alec’s feelings. It was a weak moment when he told his sister about how he truly feels about his best friend and he had made her swear she’d never speak a word about it again. Some things were better kept hidden. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He doesn’t-” Alec starts but then trails off as he thinks about it. Magnus had started acting weird after they met Thomas in the coffeeshop and it couldn’t have been because of something Thomas said. In Alec’s opinion, he had been perfectly friendly.  “Could he?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alec sits down on the couch again, facing Isabelle like she knows the truth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean I can’t say it for certain,” Isabelle says. “But from an outsider’s point of view, that’s what it looks like. You two work perfectly together and it’s a miracle you’re not a couple. If Magnus is reacting like this to someone new in your life who’s attractive and could potentially date you, and it’s not because of the person itself, I see it as a possibility that he likes you as more than a friend.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But how can I know for sure?” Alec asks, trying not to let the hope show in his voice. His heart is beating a mile a minute as he thinks of the possibility of Magnus liking him in a way he’s liked Magnus for so long.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You need to talk to him,” Isabelle says kindly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But what if I ruin everything?” Alec asks dejectedly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t need to talk about your feelings,” Isabelle comforts him. “But you need to talk to him so you two can work this out. It’s been three weeks, I don’t think it’s going to get any better if both of you continue to ignore your situation.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alec hated it when Isabelle was right.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>-.-.-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was surprisingly easy to get Magnus to meet Alec at Alec’s apartment later that day. As much as Alec was dreading the conversation, he didn’t want to go another night wondering where their friendship stood. He chose his own apartment as the meeting place because if the conversation went to what he simultaneously hoped and feared, he knew they needed privacy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had not beat around the bush when he sent the text to Magnus, as it simply held the ominous message:</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>We need to talk. Come over?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It seemed like Magnus was also getting tired of the situation because he had answered almost immediately, agreeing to meet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alec feels like his heart is going to beat out of his chest as he opens the door to an equally nervous-looking Magnus.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come in,” he says.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Magnus leaves his coat and shoes at the door and follows Alec into the small living room. Alec feels like someone could cut the tension with a knife. It’s never been like this with Magnus and he hates every second that drags on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He waits until Magnus sits down before he speaks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve been acting weird.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I haven’t,” Magnus denies. Alec’s seen Magnus lie, knows he can be convincing when he wants to, but this response is so obviously a lie Alec doesn’t dignify it with a verbal response. Alec stands in front of the couch, looking down at Magnus and raising his eyebrows. When Magnus just avoids his gaze and keeps quiet, Alec continues speaking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes you have,” he says. He tries to keep his voice even so that the conversation doesn’t turn to an argument. That’s not what he wants. He’s not angry at Magnus. He’s confused and scared. He sits down on the other end of the couch and looks at Magnus, even when Magnus doesn’t meet his eyes. “And it’s really bothering me. I want to know what I’ve done.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You haven’t done anything,” Magnus says softly, finally looking up at Alec.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then what is it?” Alec asks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s nothing,” Magnus tries to argue. “Can we just forget it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, we can’t,” Alec says. It’s clear that whatever it is, it’s really bothering Magnus and Alec hates to see his friend like that. “Talk to me Magnus.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They used to be able to talk to each other about anything. Alec wonders what it could be that Magnus feels like he can’t tell Alec. Isabelle’s words ring in his head and maybe he’s just being hopeful, but they seem to make more and more sense as the conversation goes on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you love me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Magnus’ head snaps up at Alec’s words and Alec’s own eyes widen as well. He really didn’t think it through before he spoke. Who even asks something like that from their best friend?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want me to?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The answer throws Alec even more off guard. It’s not the no he expected and it’s not the love confession he hoped. Instead, Magnus’ words are timid and careful as he looks at Alec like he’s ready to bolt any second.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alec realises that Magnus is nervous - scared even.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’s frozen in place, his eyes searching Alec’s face for an answer. It’s like he’s waiting for the other shoe to drop, too afraid to even breathe properly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alec knows that he has to be brave now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes,” he says and he can’t deny that he’s nervous as well. But he needs to say these words out loud, now is his chance, and he’ll never forgive himself if he doesn’t use it when it’s so plainly given to him. He can only hope Magnus feels the same or for the very least doesn’t let this affect their friendship if he doesn’t. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Magnus’ first reaction is shock, and Alec doesn’t know if it’s a good reaction or not.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was kind of hoping that you do,” he continues as Magnus is rendered speechless - another very uncharacteristic thing for his best friend. “Because I love you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Magnus doesn’t speak but Alec gets his response loud and clear when Magnus leans closer and kisses Alec. One of his hands rests on Alec’s thigh for support while the other holds the side of Alec’s face. Alec responds to the kiss immediately, and soon his mind catches up with the situation and he brings his own arms around Magnus’ waist.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Magnus pulls back, just enough to let them breathe, Alec feels stunned. It feels like something monumental just happened and he doesn’t know how he’s supposed to go on from that. Eager to break the silence, he asks, “Is that a yes?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Magnus laughs and Alec can feel it against his face before Magnus leans in for another kiss. This time when the kiss ends he sits back on the couch, putting enough distance between them that they are able to properly look at each other. Magnus’ hands take Alec’s where they had fallen to his lap.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes,” Magnus says. “I love you, Alexander.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alec smiles and he’s quite certain he’s never smiled so widely before. He feels high, like a weight has lifted from his shoulders and there’s a whole new world in front of him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Say that again?” Alec asks, because he definitely needs a repeat or a few before he’s able to make his brain believe that what’s happening is real.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you Alexander Lightwood,” Magnus says, the smile never leaving his face.</span>
</p>
<p>They have things to talk about and Alec definitely needs to thank his sister, but for now he just leans closer and kisses Magnus again.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The current situation is awful and I can't really do much besides stay at home and offer you all some silly fluff. I hope you enjoyed and I hope everyone is safe!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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